1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for drying and suspending a running paper web and comprising a dryer housing through which the web (which has been coated or printed on one or both sides) moves rapidly as it is floatingly suspended and guided on air cushions and without contact until the ink or other coating is dried. The invention relates to air bars for floatingly guiding and suspending an advancing paper web of indeterminate length.
2. Background Information
This invention pertains to paper web handling equipment having air bars for floatingly suspending a web and drying the material such as ink or coating on the web, while not permitting the web to touch any supporting surfaces as the web moves rapidly through the elongated dryer.
This invention is in the nature of an improvement over the paper web handling air bars shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: Vits--U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,250, issued May 4, 1963; Otepka--U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,907, issued June 10, 1969; Frost--U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,070, issued Dec. 22, 1970; Creapo--U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,491, issued June 19, 1973; Gardner--U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,447 of July 1, 1969; and Stibbe--U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,013, issued Mar. 25, 1975.
The air bars shown in the above patents were of relatively small size, and were spaced relatively close together along the length of the web being handled. While those devices did perform satisfactorily, they required a considerable amount of energy, both electrical and gas, in order to effectively dry the running web.